Grace Wales Bonner is the first Black woman to lead design at a major European fashion house. The 35-year-old London-based designer will succeed Véronique Nichanian, who departed after an extraordinary 37-year tenure that made her one of fashion’s longest-serving Creative directors. Wales Bonner’s first collection for the French fashion house is set to debut in January 2027, providing ample time for transition and creative development.
Pierre-Alexis Dumas, Hermès‘s artistic director, expressed enthusiasm about the appointment: “I am very happy to welcome Grace into our family of Artistic directors. Her contemporary vision of fashion, craftsmanship, and culture will continue to shape the style of Hermès men’s ready-to-wear, confidently blending her perspective on the times with the house’s heritage.” Her taste and curiosity for artistic practice strongly resonate with Hermès’ creative approach. This is only the beginning of a dialogue that will continue to grow,” he stated. Wales Bonner responded with equal emotion: “I am deeply honored. Beginning this new chapter and joining the lineage of artisans and creators at Hermès is a dream come true. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Axel Dumas and Pierre-Alexis Dumas for giving me the opportunity to contribute my vision to this magical house.”
This appointment is a significant moment for both Wales Bonner and Hermès. Industry observers had long speculated that Wales Bonner would land a major creative director position at a luxury house; her name had previously been linked to Louis Vuitton and Givenchy. Years ago, she told System magazine that working with Hermès was her dream. Now, that aspiration has become a reality.
From Central Saint Martins to global recognition
Wales Bonner graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2014, making an immediate impression with her thesis collection, “Afrique,” which won the L’Oréal Professional Talent Award. She founded her eponymous label that same year and debuted at the London menswear collections in 2015 with “Ebonics,” a meditation on Black cultural identity that won her the British Fashion Award for Emerging Menswear Designer. The collection featured flared trousers, shawl-collar jackets, and a knit sweater that read “The Black Genius,” accompanied by literary references, including James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.
Her career trajectory accelerated rapidly. In 2016, she won the LVMH Young Designer Prize, one of the most prestigious honors in fashion. Soon after, she expanded her collections to include womenswear. Additional accolades followed, including the CFDA International Men’s Designer of the Year Award in 2021 and the British Fashion Award for British Designer of the Year for Menswear in 2024. In 2023, she was invited to participate in Pitti Uomo as a guest designer, further solidifying her standing in the world of menswear.
A cerebral approach to design
Wales Bonner’s work stands out for its intellectual depth and cultural significance. Her collections draw from extensive research into the African diaspora, Black American colleges, art, film, and literature. Ahead of her fall 2024 show, which unfolded at the National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts with a collegiate sensibility, she spent time at Howard University’s Moorland-Spingarn Research Center studying the institution’s sporting, musical, and literary history.
“I see my research as an artistic practice. It’s the foundation of everything I do, and clothing is a direct way to communicate certain ideas,” Wales Bonner told The New York Times in 2023. Her academic approach is evident in collections that reference specific cultural moments and figures. Black American colleges inspired “WB” varsity jackets, Fair Isle knits, and duffle coats. The story of a Black member of the Medici family inspired regal stud-collared dress shirts, hourglass-cinched blazers, and tailcoat-like jackets.
Her work reimagines classic tailoring with textured embellishments, artisanal craftsmanship, and cross-cultural elements. Recent collections have featured her signature high-low tailoring approach, adding distinctive touches to formal wear, such as pearl accents. Wales Bonner has developed a thesis based on the global visual and intellectual experience of Black culture, all while maintaining respect for Savile Row tailoring traditions and incorporating streetwear influences.
Beyond fashion
Her practice extends into curation, filmmaking, and publishing. In 2019, she curated “A Time for New Dreams” at the Serpentine Gallery in London, which featured musical performances by Sampha and Laraaji, among others. In 2023, the Museum of Modern Art in New York invited her to curate an exhibition for its “Artist Choice” series, further establishing her credentials. She also launched a four-year research project at the University of Applied Arts Vienna titled “Between Critique and Hope,” which explores Afro-Atlantic musical and artistic forms as organizing principles for alternative archival practices.
Her collaborations span multiple disciplines. She has worked with artist Kerry James Marshall and partnered with Dior in 2019 to reimagine the house’s bar jacket and skirt with macramé. She dressed Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton for the Met Gala and created T-shirts with Solange. Wales Bonner has also collaborated with Anderson & Sheppard, renowned Savile Row tailors.
Commercial acumen through adidas
She has demonstrated her sharp commercial instincts through her long-running collaboration with adidas, which began in 2020. She artfully reinterprets the brand’s established styles, creating versions that command premium resale prices. Her silver-tipped Millennium sneaker and Big Bird yellow mesh SL76 shoe have become collector’s items. Most notably, she transformed the Samba sneaker from a stale classic into a must-have design. Versions in colors like navy croc, leopard, and crochet continue to sell for several hundred dollars on resale platforms like StockX.
This commercial success likely appealed to Hermès, one of the last remaining independent French fashion houses. Hermès operates at its own measured pace, avoiding hype cycles and short-term spectacle in favor of craftsmanship, materials, and enduring quality. Wales Bonner’s ability to create desirable objects while maintaining artistic integrity aligns with Hermès’s values.
Véronique Nichanian’s legacy
Nichanian’s departure marks the end of an era. She joined Hermès in 1988 after graduating from the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne and working at Cerruti Homme. For 37 years, she shaped the house’s vision of masculine elegance, creating what she calls “vêtements objets“: transformable, reversible garments designed to accompany men throughout their lives.
“It’s time to pass the baton,” Nichanian told Le Figaro, explaining her decision. At 71, she said she still had ideas, but she wanted to dedicate time to herself, particularly to fulfill her long-held dream of spending several months in Japan. Her final collection will be presented in Paris on January 24th, 2026, marking her 76th presentation for the company.
“I am very proud to have created what I call ‘object garments,’ transformable, reversible garments that accompany you through life,” she said. Nichanian’s tenure was characterized by jewel-toned leathers, blanket-lined parkas, and velvety suits that kept wealthy male clients engaged season after season. She maintained creative freedom throughout her time at Hermès and quit with “joy and pride.”
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What Wales Bonner brings to Hermès
Wales Bonner offers a different creative perspective than Nichanian. While Nichanian focused on refined, sophisticated elegance, Wales Bonner brings a cerebral approach grounded in cultural heritage. Her soft-spoken demeanor and research-driven process have produced collections that educate as well as dress. She sees herself primarily as a researcher, using clothing as a direct method of communicating her ideas.
Vogue noted that, although industry observers expected Hermès to promote from within, the company chose renowned external talent. This decision suggests that Hermès recognizes the need to evolve while maintaining its core identity. Wales Bonner’s appointment bucks fashion’s tendency toward pale, male creative directors. Her British-Jamaican heritage and her perspective on the Black diaspora will bring fresh viewpoints to the traditional French company.
She will maintain her eponymous brand while assuming her new responsibilities at Hermès. This enables her to continue developing her own vision while sharing her expertise on a larger platform. Her decade-old label shows that she already operates within the French fashion ecosystem, as she demonstrates by showing in Paris.
The future at Hermès
This appointment positions Hermès for a new chapter while respecting its heritage. Pierre-Alexis Dumas emphasized that Wales Bonner’s contemporary vision will shape Hermès menswear by “confidently blending her perspective on the times with the house’s heritage.” Her curiosity about artistic practices aligns with Hermès’s creative approach, suggesting a philosophical alignment that extends beyond aesthetic considerations.
Hermès operates independently of conglomerates, maintaining family ownership and control. This structure allows for long-term thinking rather than focusing on quarterly results. Wales Bonner’s appointment indicates confidence in her ability to enhance the menswear business, which has thrived under Nichanian. The company chose someone with a proven ability to generate cultural conversation and commercial success.
